A Traditional French Sunday Lunch

Today, I’m sharing the details of a little party I threw for my grand father last year.

When I visited him in France in September, he asked me if I wouldn’t mind organising a lunch for a few of our family friends and of course – I was more than happy to oblige! I had originally decided on a German food theme (as a nod to Octoberfest which was about to start in Germany) but after someone gifted my grandfather two kilos of gorgeous apples from their garden, I went for a Fall-inspired lunch instead. I put together a very traditional French menu and tried to use as much local and in-season produce as possible.

In true French fashion, the lunch turned into an almost 4-hour long event and was filled with multiple food courses, a whole lotta good wine, and fun conversations. What more could you ask for really?

Here are all the pretty party details:

The Decor

Another reason why I chose a fall-inspired theme for this party was because it really worked with the decor of my grandfather’s appartment. I’m a big believer in working with your surroundings when it comes to choosing a party theme and my grandfather’s dark wooden table, china, and embroided chairs already had a strong fall vibe.

The only items I added to the table were:

a floral center piece (to add a bit of life to the room and to echo the design of the dining room chairs)

The Menu

I designed a traditional French menu based on dishes I knew my grandfather loved and what ingredients were in season. After a few trips to the local markets and raiding my grandmother’s cooking books, I served the following to our guests:

Aperitif: A charcuterie platter which I served alongside our pre-lunch drinks (as well as a selection of chips, olives, and other cocktail nibbles.)

Entree: Roasted figs wrapped in jambon de bayonne (cured ham) and filled with french goat cheese

Main course: ‘Coq au Riesling’ (chicken braised in a riesling based sauce), served with peas, potatoes, and sautees string beans

Salad course: Bitter salad served with roasted pears

Cheese course: a selection of local cheeses served with bread and fresh fruit

Dessert: an apple cake and an apple pie which was kindly brought by one of our guests

Coffee/tea served with an assortment of macarons and chocolates

Digestives liqueurs: Cognac or Genepi (a liqueur from the Alps) for those who wanted it.

Despite it being a lot of work (I probably could have bought the dessert rather than make it for example) I was very happy with how everything turned out! It was a very fun afternoon and everyone seemed delighted with their meal (though it could have been the liqueur talking but hey – I’ll take it ;) ).

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Welcome! I’m Pearl, a French girl living in Melbourne with a passion for entertaining, traveling, and all things pretty. This blog is my virtual version of the ultimate 'soiree' where everyone is invited, people from all over the world are mingling and the champagne is forever flowing. Let's party!